Small arms used by Anti-communist forces
This page gives a short list of small arms used by Anti-communist forces in the Vietnam War. Small arms Knives/bayonets * M6 bayonet * M7 bayonet * KA-BAR (USMC) * KCB70 bayonet (Limited use with Stoner 63 rifle only) Pistols & revolvers * Browning High Power pistol - used by Australian and New Zealand forces. Also used on an unofficial basis by US Reconnaissance and Special Forces units. * Smith & Wesson Mark 22 Mod.0 "Hush Puppy" - Suppressed pistol used by SEALs, among others * Colt M1911A1 - It was the main side arm of the US Army and other countries except the ones in the Commonwealth. * Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless - Carried by General Officers, but it was replaced by the Colt Commander in the Mid-60s * Colt Commander - Replaced the Colt M1903 pistol in the mid-60s * Smith & Wesson Model 15 (USAF M15) - carried by USAF Security Police Units * Smith & Wesson Model 12 - Given to helicopter pilots * M1917 revolver - Used by the South Vietnamese and US forces during the beginning of the war alongside the Smith & Wesson Model 10 * High Standard HDM - It was replaced by the Smith & Wesson Model 39 as the main suppressed pistol because of its caliber * Walther PPK with suppressor - It was used by Special Forces and spies Infantry rifles * L1A1 SLR - Used by Australian and New Zealand soldiers in Vietnam , 1967.]] * M1 Garand - Was used by the Marine Corps during the early stages of the war. Also used by the South Vietnamese, South Koreans and Laotians * M1 Carbine and M2 Carbine- Were widely used by the South Vietnamese Military, Police and Security Forces, the Viet Cong, and the US Military. * M14 rifle It was issued to most troops from the early stages of the war until the early 1970s when it was used as a sniper rifle. * XM16E1 and M16A1 - Early issue M16 had problems replaced by M16A1. After 1968 were issued to special forces and then infantry a year or two later. * XM177E2 - Shortened version of the M16 rifle very popular with MACV-SOG units * Heckler & Koch HK33 - It was used by Thai forces that were not armed by the United States. It was chambered for the same cartridge as the M16 assault rifle used by American troops. ** T223 - which is a copy of the Heckler & Koch HK33 Assault Rifle under license by Harrington & Richardson used in small numbers by Navy SEAL teams. Even though the empty H&R T223 was 0.9 pounds (0.41 kg) heavier than an empty M16A1, the weapon had a forty-round magazine available for it and this made it attractive to the SEALS. Submachine guns * Thompson submachine gun - It was used in small quantities by artillery and helicopter units. Even though it was replaced in the end of the Korean war after servicing in WW2 and the Vietnam war, it was still used by many American troops and South Vietnamese troops in the Vietnam war. The Viet Cong were armed with the Chinese copy. * M3 Grease gun - The M3 "Grease gun" was issued to troops all over Vietnam was the main submachine gun, but many others were used such as the Thompson which was replaced later on. * Swedish K - It was used by Navy SEALs in the beginning of the war, but was later replaced by the Smith & Wesson M76 in the late 1960s. Many South Vietnamese soldiers were armed with this weapon and used it until the end of the war. ** Smith & Wesson M76 - A copy of the Swedish K, it replaced that gun as the main submachine gun of the Navy SEALs in 1967. * Madsen M/50 - It was supplied by mercenaries from Denmark and a lot were bought by the United States for the South Vietnamese Army. * MAC-10 It was supplied to many special forces troops in the mid point of the war. It armed many CIA agents in the field and was never captured by the Viet Cong. * MP40 (CIDG) * UZI (SOG recon teams) The Uzi submachine gun was supplied in from Israel and given to special forces troops in the field. * Owen Gun (Australian submachine gun) It served the Australian Army through WWII, Korea, Malaya and now into the Vietnam War as the main submachine gun. It was later replaced by the F1 submachine gun that resembled it. * F1 submachine gun (Australian, replaced Owen Gun) * L2A1 a variant of the British Sterling used by the SASR for prisoner extraction also used with Suppressor/Silencer. Shotguns The shotguns were used as an individual weapon during jungle patrol; infantry units were authorized a shotgun by TO & E (Table of Organization & Equipment). Shotguns were not general issue to all infantrymen, but were select issue, such as one per squad, etc. * Winchester Model 1912 pump-action shotgun was used by the Marines during the early stages of the war. * Ithaca 37 pump-action shotgun replaced every other shotgun in the field and armed the United States Marine Corps throughout the war. * Remington 870 pump-action shotgun used by the Marines ** Special Operations Weapon a modification for a Remington 870 which made it fully automatic * Remington 11-48 semi-automatic shotgun used by the Marines in small quantities * Winchester Model 1897 used by the Marines during the early stages of the war, but was later replaced by the Ithaca 37 * Stevens Model 77E, pump-action shotgun used by Army and Marine forces in Southeast Asia. Almost 70,000 Model 77Es were procured by the military for use in SE Asia during the 1960s Machine guns * L2A1 AR - Full-automatic capable version of the L1A1 SLR used by ANZAC forces * Stoner M63a Commando & Mark 23 Mod.0 - used by U.S. Navy SEALs and tested by Force Recon * M60 machine gun GPMG (General Purpose Machine Gun) It was the main machine gun of the US army at the time and many of them were put on helicopters * M1918A2 Browning Automatic Rifle - Issued to troops during the early stages of the war, but was replaced by the Stoner 63 and M60 machine guns. * M1917 Browning machine gun - A .30cal heavy machine gun issued to some machine gunners in the South Vietnamese Army and also in limited use by the US Army. * M1919 Browning machine gun - It was usually fit on platforms and boats, but was gradually replaced by the M60 machine gun. * Browning M2HB .50cal Heavy Machine Gun Grenades and mines * Mark 2 Fragmentation Hand/Rifle Grenade * M61 Fragmentation Hand Grenade * WP M34 grenade White Phosphorus Hand Grenade is a smoke grenade that uses white phosphorus, which, when in contact with air ignites and creates white smoke. The white phosphorus was also a useful way to dislodge the Viet Cong from tunnels or other enclosed spaces as the burning white phosphorus absorbs oxygen, causing the victims to suffocate or suffer serious burns. * M18 grenade Smoke Hand Grenade * Claymore M18A1 - An anti-personnel mine * M67 grenade Grenade launchers * M79 grenade launcher * M203 grenade launcher - Used late in the war by special forces. * China Lake Grenade Launcher - A pump-action grenade launcher used by U.S. Navy SEALs * XM148 grenade launcher * Mk.19 Automatic Grenade Launcher Flamethrowers * M2 flamethrower * M9 flamethrower Category:Anti-Communist forces weapons